Journal of Interdisciplinary Educational Studies

Correlation between Prospective Teachers Teaching Aptitude and Academic Achievement

Mubashara Akhtar — 2024-04-16

Aptitude is a distinct ability that differs from ordinary intellectual ability. It assists an individual in obtaining the necessary level of skill in a given subject, such as teaching. This descriptive study intended to find out the relationship between prospective teachers' aptitude for teaching and their academic achievement at university. Quantitative correlational research design was adopted. Population consisted of all newly admitted undergraduate and graduate university students from department of Education and sample was 282. Data was collect through purposive sampling technique and based on (TATB) by Singh and Sharma (1998). Questionnaire was adopted and consisted of 30 items included open-ended and close-ended questions was based on National Professional Standards and follow the knowledge, skills and dispositions. The reliability of the questionnaire was 0.753 and validate from 5 experts from the Department of Education. This study found that the majority of prospective teachers in undergraduate program had an average level of teaching aptitude, whereas graduate prospective teachers had a low level of teaching aptitude. The correlation with GPA, Knowledge, skills and disposition there was significant week positive correlation. It is recommended that a teacher aptitude test may be taken for the admission in teacher education programs.

Academic Optimism of Teachers in Secondary Schools of Pakistan

Mubashara Akhtar — 2024-03-29

Educators and researchers have long been interested in determining the effectiveness of schools. Recently, the concept of academic optimism has gained attention as a significant construct that can help schools to enhance the well-being of teachers and success of students. This research aimed to investigate the academic optimism of teachers in secondary schools. A questionnaire was developed to measure the academic optimism of the teachers. The instrument was developed on three constructs i.e. Collective Efficacy, Faculty Trust and Academic Emphasis. The reliability index of the questionnaire was 0.823 which was calculated by using Cronbach Alpha. The data was received from 872 secondary school teachers who were selected based on the district performance rankings from 2017-18, presented by Punjab Education Sector Reform Program (PESRP). The study inferred a significant difference of academic optimism among the teachers based on their districts ranking, gender, and experience in secondary schools. The findings support the critical nature of teachers’ academic optimism and its influence on the overall school environment. The study suggests that there is a need to promote collective efficacy, trust, and academic emphasis of teachers through training and faculty development programs.

Assessment Tools and Strategies used by Teachers of Public Sector Colleges of Lahore District: A Mixed Method Study

Mubashara Akhtar — 2024-03-29

Comparison of Class VII and VIII Students’ Academic Self-Concept: Insights from Sindh Province of Pakistan

Mubashara Akhtar — 2024-03-29

With the realization that students’ self-concept has a major influence on their academic achievement, the development of students’ positive self-concept has been receiving an increasing attention. This study was conducted to explore the self-concept of students of two different classes (Class 7 and 8) in three different subjects in Sindh context of Pakistan. The instrument used was a rating scale developed to measure the self-concept of students under three domains (science, mathematics and other subjects). The collected data were analyzed using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test to explore the normality of score. Then, through descriptive analysis, the mean scores of each class in each subject were computed followed by independent t-test and Mann-Whitney test. The results showed that, on average, class 8 students hold higher self-concept, the significance being high in mathematics and science. The difference in their self-concept across three different domains are presented and discussed with their future implications.

Digital Innovation in Education during Pandemic

Mubashara Akhtar — 2024-03-29

The development and significant increase of COVID-19 has challenged the traditional practices in key sectors of the modern-day world including healthcare, education, business and development. Restrictive measures to diminish the spread of disease also restricted the access to the basic necessities of life. Countries-wise lockdowns to maintain social distancing has not only transformed the traditional mode of education to online but also opened the new avenues for digitalization of education. This chapter discusses various strategies and methodologies to rectify the setback to education sector due to COVID-19, the challenges and barriers in their implementation and the future of online learning.

Incorporating the Prophetic Ways of Teaching for Professional Growth in Moral and Peace Education: A Framework for the Contemporary Age Educators

Mubashara Akhtar — 2024-03-29

This qualitative research explores the appropriation of prophetic teaching methods as a mean of promoting professional growth in moral and peace education. The study investigates the methods and strategies teachers used to integrate prophetic principles within their pedagogical practices in diverse classroom settings. The researchers used purposive sampling technique to select teachers having experience of integrating prophetic teaching methods within their pedagogy. Through in-depth interviews and content analysis of teaching materials and classroom practices, the researchers found the challenges that teachers experience in their pedagogy with prophetic teaching principles to further the cause of moral education and peace-building among their students. The results showed that there are several strategies that teachers are adopting such as storytelling, enacting the prophetic ethics of care and justice, and merging critical theory of moral development with experiential learning, to inculcate within their students’ moral traits inspired by prophetic traditions. By teaching with a transformative spirit, they seek to bring to bear human dispositions rooted in compassion and a sense of social justice on the world, drawing on the early and enduring teachings of Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) as a beacon for moral-ethical conduct. This research contributes to the literature by providing an insider’s look into the operationalizing of these prophetic teaching methods in contemporary educational contexts and offering a model for teachers interested in integrating moral and peace education into their pedagogy.